A Door To Far
by MedicWolfram
Summary: When the world of the Elemental Nations is inadvertently destroyed all but two escape. Using the knowledge gained from jumping through the anomalies will they be able to provide help in protecting a new world's future? Or will they fail a second time and live with the consequences?
1. Chapter 1

A Door to Far.  
Chapter 1

* * *

_Day 267_

_It's been months since we last saw our home. What we did, how_

_we did it. I don't know anymore. We've been the hunters and_

_we've been the hunted. I just wish we could go home now. But_

_home is gone, because of us. Because of us, we will never see_

_our friends again, our families, our village. It's all gone._

_Tomorrow we go to look for another portal; we hope to find_

_a new place to call home. We can only keep looking._

_I owe it to her to find us a new home where we can be safe again._

Naruto slapped the journal closed. Every day he wrote in it, recorded his feelings, hopes, despair and beliefs, but he would never let his companion see what he had become; he kept her going with his cheerfulness, and that was one thing he refused to give up.

"Naruto!" The quiet yell ripped through the silence of the forest, a forest that held many both beautiful and dangerous creatures. "Naruto!" It came again, just a little louder, a hint of panic lacing her voice at the thought of having lost her only companion in the world.

"Yes, Hinata? Is everything okay? You aren't hurt, are you?" he asked. His concern for his only companion was evident. "You weren't followed, were you?" he finished as an afterthought.

"N-no, but you should see this! I-it's something new!" Hinata replied with happiness as she rounded a large tree. She fit right in with the forest, wearing a pair of combat boots rated for tough use, leaf green pants spattered with mud, a brown coat covered in leaves and other foliage and a black cap hiding her ever so unique lavender hair.

"Hinata, everything is new here. I told you this before. We shouldn't be looking at the animals, we should be looking for a portal," Naruto replied sadly as he dropped to the ground.

Even the boisterous Naruto had dampened down his unique style, dressed with a set of black combat boots, green pants with many pockets used to hold all matter of tools, a brown long sleeved turtle neck that didn't hinder movement and a black cap to hide his sun blond hair.

"I-I-I know, but these look different, li-like they don't belong. I don't - I don't - you just have to see for yourself, okay?"

Naruto took a few seconds to reply, weighing the options of seeking out new and dangerous creatures against that of seeking a portal to take them away from this strange land.

"Alright, alright, alright, but we go in prepared; take your gear. Understand?" he said as he grabbed his black satchel with emergency rations, kunai, and his trustworthy ninja-to. The basic exploration kit.

"Hai, Naruto, you won't r-regret it, I promise," Hinata said with a hint of happiness at being allowed to learn more about the animals of this world as she, too, grabbed her kit and weapon.

* * *

It had all started when Naruto was eighteen. They had discovered a portal of some kind in the ruins of whirlpool, a portal that would come and go on its own. The first team sent through came back shortly with descriptions of large dinosaurs that towered over trees, with teeth as large as your hand and just as dangerous as any ninja.

That was the beginning.

Shortly after the discovery, Akatsuki, a band of terrorists, struck, and although they had been defeated it was at a great cost. The Tailed Beasts had been captured and released and few had survived. Naruto was one of the lucky ones; his stronger than average vitality and stubborn nature had allowed him to survive the process of removing a Tailed Beast, but he was one of the few. The Elemental Countries, as they were known, had become a desolate wasteland filled with dangerous animals, and the life expectancy of a ninja had dropped to just two years. A plan was hatched to explore the uses of the portal - to find a new home.

Over the course of a year, more portals were discovered and documented. Some led to barren wastelands similar to their own, others to lush forests, and still more to monstrous mountain ranges, until one day they discovered a portal that sent one back twenty years to a time of peace. This portal was the key. A team of five was gathered, to be captained by Naruto and Hinata, to return to this past and correct all the wrongs before they were to happen, to save their civilization from their own destruction.

That was where it began to unravel.

Upon returning, the team set out to Konoha with the belief that with the Fourth Hokage all of the tragedies of the future could be averted and life could be saved. Oh, how they were wrong. When they saved the Hokage and drove off the dreaded Nine-Tails, they believed their mission complete. They believed they could go back home to a land of peace.

They entered the portal again and came out to a world that was worse off than before. All they had left behind was gone; their surviving friends and family had vanished; the powers of the ninja were no longer prevalent; and worst of all, the people they spoke to knew nothing of them. The world was in ruins. The future had been changed drastically.

The team traveled to Konoha again to discover what had happened and where they had gone wrong on their mission. It was then that they discovered the truth. The Fourth, their saving grace, had brought war upon their home. The fear of such a powerful man living as a leader of the most powerful village was enough for the other countries to band together; they attacked and destroyed the Village Hidden in the Leaves. They left nothing standing.

The worst part of this new future was the absence of chakra. The life force of the ninjas had all but been destroyed. No one knew how exactly it had disappeared; the stories blamed the release of the Tailed Beasts from their containers during the war, saying that the sudden influx of so much demonic chakra acted like a parasite. The more vile and corrosive chakra settled over the Elemental Countries and absorbed the life energy of the ninjas. Thousands had died in the first month, the economy had collapsed and the world as they knew it was gone.

The team came to a decision then and there: No matter what the future held, it was a future that they would have to live with, even without chakra. Nothing could be changed in the past; it was to remain the same to ensure that what they did have would survive. The consequences of changing the past could be too much, and so the team would do everything they could to prevent that from happening.

And for a few months the team did what they had to do: They prevented monsters from escaping the portals and kept the present as safe as possible. But even that didn't last. Three members of the team decided enough was enough; they would return to the past again and prevent themselves from starting this mess in the first place. Naruto forbade them. And that was the end of their world.

The three traitors escaped through one portal and into another, changing what they needed as they went, and Naruto and Hinata followed, hunting them down. One by one they stopped the traitors, but the damage had been done.

When the last traitor fell, they realized they had become lost in time. They knew of no way home, of no way to correct all the wrongs; all they knew were dinosaurs.

* * *

_Day 268_

_Hinata wasn't kidding when she said it was something new!_

_These creatures don't belong; even the native animals know_

_that. This could only mean one thing: a portal's nearby. Now_

_all we need to do is find that portal. But something's strange_

_about these creatures - it's almost like they can hear a heartbeat._

_There can be no other explanation for how they found their lunch._

_Lunch, that's a polite way of saying they pounced on that vegetable_

_eating dinosaur and ripped it to shreds. I hope we never have to deal_

_with those things._

Naruto's head darted up from his journal as he heard something approach the camp from the west.

"N-Naruto! They're back again!" Hinata's urgent voice carried through the small clearing.

"What?" he asked. "What do you mean they're back?"

"J-just that. About a mile north th-they've trapped another dinosaur." Her voice held some concern. "W-we have to save it; these things aren't natural, and we can b-both see that." Naruto smiled at Hinata's concern. Ever since they were young, she had always cared for the underdog in any situation.

Naruto hated being in charge. The drive to seek out a portal to a new and safe home was always at the front of his mind, but it was second to keeping his only friend as happy as possible. Somehow, her want to seek out and help any creature in the vicinity always happened to counter their need to move on and find the next portal; by going on this humanitarian mission, they would be forced to move their camp and possibly miss the formation of a new portal, a new chance at life. But at the same time, pushing forward and not helping would only prove that he had lost any shred of humanity that had once remained and alienate him from Hinata.

There was no right decision in this situation, but having to choose between the life and death of another creature left a sour taste in his mouth, even if that creature was a dinosaur. They would go and save the little guy and have to take their chances with finding a new portal somewhere else.

"I agree, but grab all our gear; if we do this, you know there's no coming back here," he warned her. "These things are scary good trackers. We'll need to move further to the west - there's a lake there that we can use to set up a new camp."

Hinata smiled in triumph.

* * *

They hid their gear two hundred meters to the west of the creatures. They would have to make sure to lose the creatures after they made initial contact, and then they could double back later to pick up what they had hidden.

Naruto looked around the small clearing where the dinosaur had been cornered, its soft mews drowning out the local birds. His eyes traveled up to the branches of the taller trees where the beasts looked down and seemed to grin at their prey below them.

"I count two - one twenty meters to the south and another forty meters to the south-east. How do you wanna do this?" Naruto turned to his companion.

"I-I don't think it matters now."

The two creatures turned to look at them and soft clicks filled the clearing.

"Well, let's hope that little guy makes a run for it while we get eaten," Naruto deadpanned as he drew his ninja-to.

The clicking continued to fill the clearing as the two monsters turned their bodies to face the two lost ninjas.

"Thank you, Naruto, f-for doing this." Hinata smiled.

Naruto nodded. "Hinata, all you need to do is ask and I'll help. If I didn't, what kind of captain would I be?" he said with a grin as he placed his sword in front of his body, covering himself from groin to head. "Best to go all out here, okay?" he finished as he pulled out a kunai in his left hand. "Block and strike; use the trees to disorient them, just like back home, okay?"

The two monsters crouched and observed them - predators observing prey. They seemed to coil up and the clicking grew in intensity. They sprung forth with an ferocity that showed little care for themselves, used to being more agile than the prey they so craved.

"Scatter!" Naruto yelled as he dived to the left.

Hinata dogged to the right with no thought, having learned to trust her co-captain.

The two predators hit the ground and rolled, not used to missing prey on the first leap. Their maws opened, showing a line of razor-sharp teeth designed to tear through the toughest of metals.

"Strike fast and hard, then break contact! The little guy's made a run for it!" Naruto's voice carried through the small battlefield.

"Hai!" Hinata shouted as she dodged to the right, avoiding the vicious three-fingered swipe from the predator.

Naruto dived forward and twisted his body, dodging the first swipe, and used the kunai to protect his chest from the follow-up attack. Having made it past the wild animal, he used the trees to break contact with his foe and came around, attempting to flank the beast and end the fight fast. As he rounded the large tree, the monster turned to face him, as if sensing his every movement.

"Damn!" he cursed as he ducked, twisted and blocked the attacking beast. He used his blades to block the creature's thick paws and kicked out, attempting to put distance between them to give himself a few quick seconds to think.

'This thing uses its front legs to propel itself forward. What if we disable its ability to move? We could break contact and get to safety,' Naruto thought quickly. "Hinata!" he called. "Go for the legs! Take away its ability to jump!"

"Hai!" she shouted as she once again jumped to the side of the predator, throwing a brace of kunai at the hunter's paws, hoping to pin it to the ground. "We can't kill them. We don't know if it could change things even more!"

"I think we may have crossed that line already! I really think they really wanna eat us now!" Naruto shouted as he used his blades to once again block the monster's swipes.

'Where are its eyes? How can it keep seeing me?' he thought as he once again clashed with the predator. 'It kinda looks like a bat, actually.'

"Naruto, it must be using some form of echolocation to keep track of us!" It seemed Hinata was thinking along the same lines as him.

"Agreed!" was all Naruto had a chance to say as the predator dived forward, saliva dripping from its maw, already anticipating its mid-day snack.

Naruto raised his ninja-to and kunai and formed a cross guard with the two weapons to block the next attack, making a slight clanging noise as they met with force, but the attack never landed. The beast had stopped in its tracks and was wildly looking around as the clanging noise echoed through the forest. It seemed disoriented.

Finally a weakness they could exploit!

"Hinata, it doesn't like loud noises! Echoes throw it off!" Naruto swiped forward with his blade and smiled as dark black blood sprayed outwards from its paw, a digit falling to the ground. The beast roared and dived back, obviously not used to pain.

Hinata nodded her head absentmindedly and bashed two kunai together, driving her foe back until it too decided its snack was not worth the time. She sighed with contentment, happy to have survived the encounter.

"Th-that was close," she said. "They p-proved more agile than I w-would have thought."

Naruto nodded his head in agreement. "Let's just hope we don't have to see those two again."

* * *

_Day 269_

_We've decided to call those two things predators; it seems_

_fitting with how they hunt. They have no eyes and can actually_

_hear you as you approach, no matter how silent you are. We_

_haven't seen them yet anyway, so let's hope it's the last of them._

_I will admit that little guy we saved was kinda cute, though; a_

_little weird-looking, but cute. Anyway, yesterday was a bust. We_

_decided not to look for a portal and just keep watch for the_

_predators. Today is a new day, though, and I plan to find a new_

_portal, a new home. We've moved camp to the lake, too; it's_

_interesting, to say the least - dinosaurs of all kinds visit to drink._

_It's kinda soothing; I know Hinata likes to watch them in the_

_morning._

"Hinata, don't forget to bring everything you wanna keep! Just in case we do find that portal home!" Naruto said with gusto as Hinata exited the small tent they had slept in. The dawn of a new day and the peaceful nature of the watering hole had really lifted his spirits.

"Hai, a-always positive, Naruto." Hinata smiled as she reentered the tent to grab her kit and satchel.

"Hey! Nothing wrong with that! 'Sides, today could be the day we find a. . . . Shit, Hinata, you have to see this!" Naruto all but shouted out. "Up there!"

Hinata stuck her head out of the makeshift tent and followed Naruto's pointed finger to a mountain range. "A-a portal! We did it, Naruto! We f-found a portal!"

"Let's go - before it closes! No telling when that could happen!" Naruto smiled. "And you thought it was a lost cause."

"Hey! I-I never said that, Naruto!" She smiled as well. Home could literally be just up a hill.

* * *

Nothing was ever easy. After grabbing all the stuff they would need to survive in case they ended up in another wild world - better safe than sorry - they ran into an interesting character, a Gorgonopsid.

The dinosaur roared as it approached the portal. It was something new and interesting, and possibly tasty.

"Please, please, please don't go through that portal," Naruto whispered. Hinata laughed at his plight.

"I-I'm sure it'll be okay, Naruto. Maybe it won't. . . ." As she was about to finish the sentence, the Gorgonopsid disappeared. "Oh."

"Well, we might as well follow that thing now; no telling what could happen," Naruto said, sighing as he got up from behind the log they had hidden behind.

"A-agreed." Hinata, too, sighed as she grabbed her bags and followed Naruto into the portal, and hopefully into a new home.

* * *

Author Notes;

This is the finished chapter for A Door to Far, with the help of a new beta who was both patient and kind I was able to turn something that was mediocre into something that I feel is excellent, no doubt much better than my other story, which I highly recommend you do not read, it's not my best work but I keep it there for proof of how much someone can improve. Thanks again for all the help VoicesInTheWind


	2. Chapter 2

A Door to Far Chapter 2

* * *

_Day 1_

_So it's been an interesting couple of hours now since we landed in this  
new forest. For a moment I honestly thought we didn't get anywhere special;  
just trapped in another world full of dinosaurs. But this world is different - I can tell!  
We stumbled across a paved path. We have yet to see any people,  
but for the first time I honestly believe we've found a new home!_

"How can it be possible that we lost a four-ton dinosaur? We followed it through the portal - it's not like it can fly. Right?" Naruto was frustrated now. They had been in this new world for hours and they had yet to see any sign of the Gorgonopsid.

"M-maybe it ran for it?" Hinata offered as they made their way through the dense forest.

"Maybe, but we need to find it soon. There's no telling the damage it could do."

"A-agreed."

* * *

Abby raced after the small winged reptile. Rex seemed to be a fitting name for a creature with a curiosity that overrode its fear of the unknown.

"Rex! We need to get outta here!" she whispered as a loud roar echoed through the forest.

Rex turned to his chaser and cocked his head to the side, letting out a little cry that if anyone asked, Abby would say was cute.

"Rex, come on!" she urged. "We don't have time for this!" She was getting frustrated as he dived into a bramble. "This isn't funny, Rex, we really need to go!" As she crawled into his new hiding place she heard another roar and felt the earth tremble as a slow rhythmic thumping filled the air.

"Oh no - Ben!" The boy who had first discovered Rex had made a break for home when the roars had first filled the area. "I hope you're okay," Abby murmured as the stomping grew closer. She almost choked on air when a large foot hit the ground a few meters in front of her. "What in the world?" she whispered as a large reptile lumbered past, taking deep sniffs through its large nostrils, its foot-long fangs glinting in the sun.

Abby held her breath and picked up Rex, squeezing him tightly, unwilling to let him run again until the new reptile had left the area. "I need to find Ben!" she whispered as she slowly made her way out of the bramble and ran in the opposite direction, towards the small village and hopefully towards Ben.

* * *

_Day 1 continued_

_Who would have thought that over a year has passed since we've lost the  
ability to use chakra?No more all-seeing sight, no more clones - jeez, that  
would have made this searchso much easier. The one good thing about all of this  
is the fact that this world may have people in it; we stumbled across some tracks  
earlier that look a lot like boots, and they led to a road. This world is looking  
better and better. I hope we can call this place home soon._

Naruto closed his journal again. It had become a sort of ritual since becoming lost in the portals that every day he would keep track of what happened; it was an interesting way of handling the situation that they had been thrust into. To be the last of a civilization really tore at you sometimes, knowing that when you passed on it would be the end of a race. He hoped that his journals would help to shed light on who he was when others found him. If anything, it was to prove that he wouldn't become just another footnote in some textbook.

The sun began to disappear behind the upper canopy of the clearing they had chosen to take a break in. In another time, the camp would have been hidden away under brush and trees, hiding it from unwanted eyes. But now a large clearing was more ideal; the field of view allowed them to see any unwanted dinosaurs before they reached the camp, giving them enough time to break contact and move away. Living for almost a year in a prehistoric era forced you to adapt to strange and new situations.

"Hinata, it's time we move on." He doused the fire and turned to his companion, who was sitting, gazing up into the blue sky.

"Hai, w-we should find that dinosaur before it causes to much d-damage." Since becoming lost in time, Hinata's stutter had reappeared. It was a nervous tic, a habit that had evolved while hiding and surviving in a world where you tended to be the smallest prey.

"We need a better way of finding this thing. I could hear it about an hour ago, so at least we know it's still in the area. If we can find a trail, we can track it down and get it back to its own time."

Hinata nodded as she packed their sparse equipment. Months of being on the move and in constant danger taught you to pack light. "W-we should follow the road; it could p-possibly lead to a town."

Naruto smiled, nodded his head and looked down at their clothing. They were both a sore sight. Their clothes had small rips and scuffs and were covered in mud and leaves; even his hair had lost its natural sun blonde color, turning into a dull shade of yellow.

"And hopefully some new clothing," he said. He let out a small laugh; new clothing would be a dream come true.

They quickly made their way to the paved path they had discovered earlier and started to follow it to the west, when a white pickup truck roared by. The loud engine caused both Naruto and Hinata to dart off the road, reminding them of the world they had just escaped. They looked behind them as the white pickup came closer.

"Hey, isn't that a car?" Naruto asked. Cars were available in their own world, but were rare; few could afford them, especially in a village full of ninja.

Hinata nodded her head yes as their eyes followed the vehicle as it passed them by and looked at Naruto and then back to the now distant pick-up.

"Well, that was interesting." Naruto sighed. Even though they knew of cars it was something that was still classified as new to them.

Hinata nodded her head in shock. Sometimes rare and new things frightened her, more so when she knew little there inner mechanics. "M-maybe it's heading to a village?" She didn't seem too sure of herself.

"Would have been nice if they offered to give us a ride, though." Naruto forced a grin onto his face. Walking used to be a dangerous activity when dinosaurs could reach down and pluck them off the forest floor, but now walking without any fear of being eaten was a relief. Still, neither of them knew how far away the closest village was; a quicker way there would have been ideal. "Let's keep moving. I'm sure we'll see a village soon," he finished with a sigh.

* * *

Professor Nick Cutter looked at his assistant as they drove down the long highway to the village of Dean just outside the Forest of Dean. "Where do you think they were going?" he asked in his thick Scottish accent.

Stephen Hart turned to his longtime friend. "Same place we're going? To those weird sightings?" he replied with a laugh. He wanted to call the two wanderers backpackers - they had the scruffy look to them and with the tent the girl had on top of her kit, it fit the picture - but the guy threw him off. He had combat boots and BDU pants on, something you would normally only ever see a soldier wear. It was a definite conundrum. "Maybe the wonderful Claudia Brown of the Home Office would have a better insight into this?"

Claudia looked up from the back seat of the truck she was sharing with Conner Temple. "They weren't mine, that's for sure," she said. "I haven't called in a team yet; I wanted to inspect this boy's house first. To think a dinosaur attacked his bed room - the press would have a field day with this!" She let out a bittersweet laugh as Cutter shared a smile with Stephen.

"There were two people back there?" Conner, a student of the professor's, asked as he looked up from his computer that held his own repository of prehistoric creatures. He turned his head to look out the back window.

"It's too late now, Conner. Besides, we're here now so let's find out, yea?" Stephen said as he pulled up to a brick house on the edge of a cull-de-sac with its second story window on the front lawn. "Someone's in a lot of trouble," he added as he stepped out of the car and looked at the smashed window.

"There is no such thing as _dinosaurs_, Benjamin! You will clean this room up this instant! And _you_, filling 'is head with all this nonsense of undiscovered reptiles! It's probably just a freak animal!" a shrill voice yelled from inside the broken room.

"Aye; a lot of trouble," Cutter agreed, and shared a laugh with his assistant while Conner leaned over the window, inspecting the rather peculiar damage done to it.

"Well, looks like something wasn't very happy, yea?" Conner stated as he ran his hands over the splintered wood.

Claudia shook her head and approached the front door, which was thankfully still intact. She pressed a delicate red fingernail to the doorbell and could hear a loud ring fill the house. "Coming!" came from the top floor.

A few seconds later the front door swung open and a blonde in her late thirties wearing a cooking apron stepped out. "Can I 'elp you?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm Ms. Brown from the Home Office," Claudia started, pulling her credentials out of the pocket of her business suit. "We've received reports of a strange animal in the area, and if I may say as much, it seems like something attacked your window. Would you mind if my colleagues and I took a brief look? I promise we won't be long."

The blonde women looked at the three behind Claudia and shook her head. "I'm Mrs. Trent. I 'ave a feeling it was my son acting up. You see, 'is father's been away on work for some time now."

"I understand, Mrs. Trent." Claudia nodded her head in understanding. "I also hope you understand that I just have to take a quick look and I'll be out of your hair. I'll even put in a recommendation to have the window fixed - at our cost, of course." She sent the blonde housewife a disarming smile, easing the tension in the air.

Mrs. Trent looked skeptical, but eventually nodded her head. "There's a _woman_ from the Wellington Zoo up there as well. I'll show you the way." She stepped back into the house and headed up the stairs.

Conner turned to Stephen as they entered the house. "He was acting up and threw his window out onto the lawn? That's some kid, mate."

Stephen rolled his eyes at Conner. "Really? That's the only observation you could make?"

"It was a _dinosaur_, 'e says; a different world, 'e says!" the woman said loudly as she stomped up the stairs to the second floor.

"It was a dinosaur, Ma! I ain't lying!" the boy's voice answered back just as loudly.

"Benjamin! You will cease this nonsense now!" his mother shouted as she walked into the destroyed bedroom. "I blame the telly!" she said, grabbing some more items from the floor and heading to throw them into the trash.

Cutter gazed into the room from the doorway and let out a shrill whistle. "Something must have been hungry," he said as he looked at the new opening in the wall.

"Or angry," Stephen replied. He touched the window where some blood had gathered on a splinter, and noticed the young blonde in the room. "Stephen Hart," he said as he pushed out his hand towards the representative from the zoo. "My colleagues - Professor Nick Cutter, Claudia Brown, and Conner Temple."

The three looked at the young blonde-haired women dressed in thick boots, jeans and a white hoodie by the window holding onto an iguana of some kind.

"Abby Maitland," she said as took Stephen's hand. "Reptile keeper at the Wellington Zoo. This guy here," she lifted the wrapped bundle in her hands, "is Rex, an undiscovered reptile that Ben found. Isn't that right, Ben?"

Ben nodded his head excitedly. "And there's a dinosaur out there, too!"

A deep roar seemed to finish his sentence for him.

* * *

Naruto ran off the path, followed by Hinata, as a roar lifted above the trees.

"Let's go!" He was excited; they were finally back on the trail of that insufferable dinosaur. "We find it, send it home, and done!"

Hinata jumped over a ditch and ran after Naruto, sliding over fallen branches and around the trunks of trees. It was almost like she was gliding through the forest.

Another roar sounded, closer this time, and they adjusted their direction. They were getting closer to the beast. They curved around a stream and over another ditch, their arms holding onto their bags desperately as they picked up speed, moving almost inhumanly fast.

"Just over here!" Naruto smiled.

"W-what's the plan?" Hinata asked.

Naruto's smile fell from his face. "I knew I forgot something," he muttered. "Think on the fly, Hinata," he told her. "We just need to lead it back to the portal. I'm sure it's hungry; it'll probably follow dinner home." He didn't want to say that dinner referred to them.

Hinata shook her head at her friend's lack of forethought and prepared to drop her kit and satchel as they grew closer to the sound.

"He's just over here - drop everything," Naruto said as he released his bags. Hinata followed his example. They didn't want to be slowed down.

They rounded the bend and stopped in their tracks. They had come expecting to see the giant, razor-sharp mouth of the Gorgonopsid; instead they found a different beast munching on some leaves.

"Well, isn't that a letdown." Naruto sighed at what they found.

Hinata nodded her head, as her mouth didn't seem to be working. Had another dinosaur escaped through the portal? The beast was covered in a thick amour-like hide and stood on all four legs, similar to the first escaped beast.

"Damn, I'm really starting to hate this, Hinata." Naruto sounded defeated as he watched the herbivore munch happily on the tree leaves.

Hinata could only nod her head in agreement as the beast swallowed and let out a content roar.

* * *

The group had ditched their pickup a few meters back as they approached the source of the roars. Stephen and Cutter led the group with a pair of large flashlights, followed by Claudia and Abby, still holding onto Rex, while Conner brought up the rear, typing madly away at his laptop.

"The tracks lead just around that bend up there," Stephen filled in as his light followed a trail that few could understand. They rounded the copse of trees and gazed up in disbelief at a dinosaur eating some leaves.

Cutter pushed past his friend and smiled, spreading his arms wide. "I never thought I would see something like this in my entire life!" He was ecstatic.

Abby stepped up beside him and shook her head. "That's not what I saw, though," she said. She was relieved it wasn't the other thing with the big teeth.

Claudia added her flashlight to the group and gazed up. "Definitely didn't see this coming when I woke up this morning."

The lights illuminated the head of the beast. It was bulbous and larger than a small car, its mouth was full of flat teeth ideal for munching on the local fauna, and it was covered in a thick skin that resembled a layer of pebbles.

"Guys, it's a Scutosaurus; not the type of thing that could push through a window like we saw at the house," Conner supplied, showing his computer to the group. "It's strictly a plant eater and likes to travel in a herd."

Claudia stepped to the side to view the animal in all its glory. It shook its head, letting out a louder roar, and dug its feet into the soft soil of the forest, kicking up debris.

"Stop!" Abby hissed. "It wants us to stay in front of it. It's scared," she finished.

The group stepped back to the front of the beast where it could keep its eye on them.

"The boy said he saw a world full of dinosaurs, right? Maybe this came through it?" Cutter mused, shocked at the discovery of a living, breathing prehistoric creature.

"Hey!" A loud voice filled the clearing, shocking the group. "You haven't seen another guy like this around here, has teeth that are about this big?"

Naruto came around the beast, using his two index fingers to represent large fangs protruding through his mouth. The group stared in shock.

Abby stared at the blonde-haired man in front of them and could only nod her head yes.

Cutter looked away from the beast towards the newcomers. "Another dinosaur? How do you know another one is here?" he asked as he eyed the two scruffy people standing near the dinosaur who were claiming to have seen another dinosaur here, and one with much larger teeth at that.

Hinata stepped up next to Naruto and shook her head in disbelief at the actions of her captain. "W-w let it through the portal by accident; we need to return it soon, b-before something bad happens," she said.

While Cutter looked on in shock as the announcement that these two were responsible for the prehistoric dinosaurs, Stephen took a closer look and verified his original suspicions. They were both wearing a military style uniform that had definitely seen better days; their pants were covered in rips and tears, the color having faded long ago. Before he could voice his suspicions, though, Claudia spoke up.

"Can you explain your presence here and how exactly you're responsible for releasing this creature?" Claudia asked as she took a step closer, her hands on her Home Office credentials, ready to wield them like a weapon.

"It's a Scutosaurus," Conner filled in before receiving a glare from Cutter.

"This guy must have followed us through the portal. Besides, he's just a helpless plant eater." Naruto emphasized his point by slapping the side of the large herbivore, only to receive a loud roar in response. "Well, maybe not helpless, but you know what I mean."

"No. I do not know what you mean. In fact, where are you two from, anyway?" Claudia was getting a migraine from dealing with this mess.

"W-well, we came from the p-portal, too," Hinata said shyly.

"You expect me to believe you came from a portal that leads to a prehistoric period filled with dinosaurs?" Claudia definitely felt a migraine coming on.

Cutter placed a hand on Claudia's shoulder to calm her down and turned to the new additions to the clearing. "You came through a portal? Can you tell me anything about what you saw?" he asked, his academic mind overriding his cautious behavior. "Anything at all?"

* * *

Authors Notes;

Once again a big thank you to VoicesInTheWind for taking a rough piece of work and turning it into something much better, I'm quite happy with the way things are turning out. I always like to hear from thereaders about what they think and if you ever want to ask any questions shoot me a PM, I'm always happy to discuss the story with others. I hope you enjoy the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Untill next time!


	3. Chapter 3

A Door to Far Chapter 3

* * *

Day 2

So this Cutter guy gave us the n'th degree;  
it's almost like they've never seen a portal before.  
The nerve of this guy, thinking he can just order us  
around, tell us 'we're' too young! Hinata and I have been  
dealing with these things forever now. Geez, even that women  
wasn't too nice. She said something about the  
Homeland Office. Wonder what that meant.

Naruto snapped his journal shut and looked up into the sky. "I won't lie, Hinata, I may not like that Cutter guy, but he sure knows how to feed us!"

Hinata giggled around the pastry that was in her mouth. She quickly swallowed and nodded her head. "Hai, I c-can't remember the last t-time I had a cinnamon bun," she said as her hand inched towards the box of pastries sitting nearby.

Naruto shook his head in amazement. Who knew that such a shy and regal woman could pack away the sweets? He turned his head towards the other side of the clearing, where the portal had opened. It wasn't until late the previous night that the Scutosaurus had finally been herded back through the portal. Since then, Claudia, the Home Office employee, had been on her phone non-stop talking to her boss.

The once pristine and peaceful clearing had changed drastically overnight. The lush green grass had been trampled by the dozens of black uniformed guards, metal cases had been stacked everywhere with all sorts of high tech computers enclosed, and a fence had been hurriedly erected around the portal.

"Makes you wonder if they think a simple fence will stop all those beasts from escaping," Naruto whispered to his only companion.

Hinata shook her head, her long indigo-colored hair swinging back and forth. "N-no, I think i-it's more for keeping p-people out," she replied.

Naruto nodded his head sagely and went back to his musings about the people they had run into last night.

* * *

Cutter looked at his longtime friend and assistant. "Aye, do ya believe what they're saying?" he asked.

Stephen's eyes said it all. "You mean do I believe that they come from another world? The short answer is no."

Conner raised his hand as if to ask a question. "Well, in their defense, we did just see an extinct dinosaur that last walked the earth millions of years ago."

Stephen sighed at Conner's response. It was true that they had just seen something that, if he had been asked yesterday, should have been impossible. How hard was it to believe that the two teens had come from a different time and place in history?

Abby stroked the back of Rex, who was lounging in her arms wrapped in a coat provided by Claudia, and nodded her head to Conner's statement. "Ya, but humans didn't live millions of years ago," she pointed out. "Well, not in our current evolutionary form, anyway."

"Regardless, we need to find out where they are from. Anomaly or not, they pose a rather large and glaring security issue; they have intimate knowledge of something that should not exist. We will all need to head to London for a debriefing, and to get an action plan on how to respond to this situation," Claudia interrupted as she pulled a blackberry from her small handbag and began to dial a long and complex number.

"Aye, Claudia is right. In the meantime, I would like to satisfy my curiosity with a few questions," Cutter said, his thirst for knowledge, as always, determining his actions.

* * *

Naruto continued to look around the clearing as Hinata munched on the cinnamon buns.

"Looks like they want to ask more questions," he said with a frown. He was not used to being the one asked questions over and over. It was obvious these people were trying to interrogate them to satisfy their curiosity about the situation. He did give them credit though; it was something he would have done, once upon a time.

As the group approached, Professor Cutter stepped forward. "So - Mr. Naruto, was it? Please tell us again how you came to be here," he said.

Naruto let out a sigh. "We, much like you, stumbled upon a portal, or anomaly, as you say. After much consideration, we put together a team and explored said anomalies, attempting to shape the future, if you will."

"So you mean to say that there are more of these anomalies? Do you know how to track them, or find them?" Cutter had become more enthralled by the implications of shaping the future.

"Much more, but we had no way of tracking them. We weren't exactly technically advanced, as I'm sure you've already determined," Naruto said. "Allow me to put it into perspective for you: I have never seen nor heard of a 'car' until today."

Cutter frowned at the response; it was definitely not what he wanted to hear. "You said you put a team together. Where is this team now?"

"Most died. We determined that the future could not be shaped by us; they disagreed." It was a simple and to-the-point answer, but the implications of it said so much more.

"You killed them, didn't you?" Stephen cut in. "Why would you do that?"

Hinata was the first to speak up. "Th-they disobeyed d-direct orders f-from a superior o-officer - m-many times." The hard look she received from Stephen caused her to shrink back and behind Naruto. Naruto's hand darted to her shoulder, holding her in place.

"You look at us like we committed a crime," Naruto said. "We did what we needed to do. All of this," he waved his arms around the clearing, "may not have existed in this form now if not for us. We saved your civilization. They wanted to make themselves kings, to lead with an iron fist and remove all semblance of individuality. If we had not done what we did, you may not have existed, any of you. You owe us is how I see it right now."

"You killed them! How can you justify that?" Abby asked. It was apparent that she was uncomfortable with the implications of the discussion.

"We d-did what we n-needed to do!" Hinata retorted.

"Their actions are not what we are here to discuss!" Cutter interrupted, stopping the escalating argument.

"They're murderers!" Stephen replied hotly.

Naruto stepped forward at the accusation. "I believe that this 'friendly discussion' is over," he said curtly. "We came to provide assistance in a matter that you are in over your heads with; if you no longer require our 'assistance,' we will be on our way." His eyes had grown sharper; his once friendly and dismissive attitude was gone.

"I fear that we can't let you leave just yet - Mr. Naruto, was it?" Claudia had finished her phone call just in time to see the situation deteriorating. She was afraid words had been said that had already ruined their chances of learning more from Naruto and Hinata. "Someone wishes to meet you two," she continued, "to express their thanks for your assistance in this situation." She needed to appease them long enough to get them to the Home Office and learn all they could. "If you would please follow me to our vehicle, we can be on our way. All of you, if you don't mind." She finished with a pointed look towards Cutter and his ragtag group of experts.

* * *

Naruto had never ridden in a car, nor had he seen one before. Trains, yes; air ships, yes; cars, no. It was a new experience for both him and Hinata, and the look on their faces said it all. They watched as the SUVs passed other cars, some smaller and others larger, and even ones colored both vibrantly and in dark hues. It was all a new experience, so when they pulled up to the tall glass building and were told they had arrived at their destination, they were distraught. The car ride had been too short.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen," Claudia started as they entered the building. "There will be a debriefing on the top floor; Mr. Jonathan," she motioned towards a guard dressed in black fatigues, "will escort you there. I will be seeing you shortly." And with a curt nod towards Jonathan, she left, her heels clicking on the floor.

"Okay, please follow me," Jonathan said as the nearby elevator doors opened.

As they approached the elevators, there was a definite rift in the group. Naruto and Hinata stood to the side and rear of the group, keeping everyone in sight. The allegations at the clearing did not sit well with the two, and they would defend themselves with their lives, as they had been trained to do since they were children.

* * *

The group reached the top floor in minutes and sat around a large conference table. Naruto and Hinata sat opposite the others and gazed out a window with a view of the city and all of its wonders. They looked up when a taller man dressed in a black suit entered, carrying with him a stack of papers.

"This looks like fun, ya?" Conner asked sarcastically, his eyes darting from both Hinata and Naruto to the new man.

"No, Mr. Temple, this does not look like fun," the tall man replied with a sigh. "You have stumbled across a portal, as some would say, that allows extinct animals to roam free in our country. Do you realize how much we spend each year to ensure that our borders remain secure?" he asked. Conner opened his mouth to reply. "Don't answer that, you buffoon, it was a rhetorical question. Billions every year are spent to keep certain individuals out. But today, you came here to tell me that we now have another - untraceable - way to enter our home unannounced," he finished as he sat down and faced the two groups.

"Well, actually you asked us to come here, ya?" Connor said. Abby shook her head. Conner just didn't know how to keep his mouth shut.

"Mr. Temple, if you value your current freedom, I would recommend keeping your mouth shut for the duration of this meeting. Do I make myself clear?"

Conner nodded his head.

"You may address me as Mr. Lester - not Lester or Lesty, but Mr. Lester. I have been placed in charge of keeping tabs on these anomalies and keeping our home safe. You have been tapped to help us in this endeavor. Professor Cutter and Mr. Heart, you both bring knowledge of paleontology and physics; you also know the most about these anomalies, as you so aptly call them. Ms. Maitland, you are a reptile specialist and understand how to face these creatures, as evident by the way you both cared for the small reptile that is now downstairs and the 'dinosaur' you encountered last night. Mr. Temple, you have studied everything there is about prehistoric creatures, and I am referring not just to dinosaurs. Each one of you brings something to this table that allows us to combat these anomalies and therefore you are compelled by duty to your country to help protect it."

Lester turned to the only two occupants of the room left. "I have also been informed that both you, Mr. Naruto, and Ms. Hinata claim to be from the anomalies. Do you mean to tell me humans existed during prehistoric times or do you take me for a fool?"

Naruto squinted his eyes at Lester. It was obvious that no one in this era held any manners of any kind. "Alright, Lester," he started. "We came from that anomaly, yes, but we did not come from that time. I thought you were smart or something, but I must have been mistaken." Lester's teeth began to grind. "We have been questioned and judged on actions that we preformed to keep everyone safe not only in your home, but ours as well. I know you plan to use these portals for your benefit; you aim to weaponize them. To strike at the heart of your enemies. We know; we tried to do this, too."

Hinata leaned forwards and took a deep breath. "We sent a team through to change things, to ensure that wars were averted and lives saved. We inadvertently caused more deaths. We lost our village, our friends," her eyes began to water, "our brothers and sisters, our fathers. Our families were destroyed by decisions we were ordered to make by people much like you, Mr. Lester: people in charge. Our team was all that remained."

"You called us murderers," Naruto started again, his eyes lingering on Stephen. "We did what we had to do to preserve the families that were created by us. One story ended and another started. We killed our team because they refused to listen to me, their captain."

"P-please listen to us when we s-say this: the anomalies are n-not to be trifled with. Ensure that they are kept h-hidden, that people don't use them to their own benefit. You are p-playing with the earth itself. Keep the c-creatures that it spits out in their own times and the earth as you k-know it will survive," Hinata cut in.

Lester was less than pleased with their story. While he may have thought the use of the anomalies as a weapon was ill advised, his bosses disagreed, and now these two travelers had told him all that he feared. The anomalies were bad news for the UK. He swallowed his pride and looked at the two, shuffling papers on the table.

"You claim to have knowledge on how these things work," he started. "Offer us your assistance; you would be compensated for your time and energy. Your home is gone, but ours is not. Help us to ensure that it stays that way." Asking for assistance from these two was the last thing the Home Office wanted to do, but he was forced to tip his hand early, to place all of his cards on the table. If what they said was true, the Home Office would need do anything to help ensure that what had happened to Naruto and Hinata's home did not happen to his. "Join us, and save innocent lives."

Hinata looked to Naruto and nodded her head.

"Mr. Lester," Naruto began, "you ask us to help with these portals. You ask much from us. You intend to throw us back into the fold. We have done many things that we are not proud of; killing our team is on the top of that list." Naruto sighed. "You ask us to do much; we just want to live in peace. Hinata and I have already discussed this possibility. The portal in the forest released two dinosaurs, as I'm sure you are aware. We will help to track down the second one, and in return we want to live in peace, to live normal lives. Is that acceptable?"

Lester smiled. "It would seem I have little choice but to accept. In return for helping us today, we will provide you with an apartment large enough for the two of you. Deal?" he asked, reaching across the table to shake Naruto's hand. He would keep quiet on the fact that the rent for the apartment would not be paid for by the Home Office. It would hopefully force them to help out again and again.

Naruto eyed the hand for a few seconds before reaching across the table. "Deal," he said, shaking Lester's hand.

Lester took his hand back and quickly used a handkerchief to clean it. "Now, Professor Cutter, you and your team would be a great boon to this office. You all, as I said earlier, bring specialized knowledge to the table. By joining us, confidentially, might I add, you would be able to further your education on the anomalies and also ensure your homeland is kept safe."

Cutter nodded his head in understanding. "Who would be placed in charge?" he asked.

Lester smiled. "I am aware you have already met Claudia Brown. She is already aware of the situation and therefore fits the bill perfectly; less people in the know means less potential leaks. I'm sure if knowledge of these portals were to escape to the public, pandemonium would ensue."

Cutter looked at Lester. "Very well," he said. "I do want to learn more about these anomalies."

Stephen looked at his friend and sighed. "Where Nick goes, I go."

Conner smiled. "Dinosaurs in real life - count me in, ya," he stated as Stephen rolled his eyes.

Abby looked around the table. She was the youngest of the group from the UK, and from what she could see she was younger than the two portal hoppers. But still, she was a reptile specialist, if this were to ever go public, being able to say she worked on live dinosaurs would definitely boost her career miles ahead.

"I'm in," she said. "This is a once in a lifetime chance."

Lester nodded his head and handed out the papers he had brought in with him. "These are non-disclosure agreements. If you tell anyone about you new jobs or of the anomalies, it is  
tantamount to treason and will be prosecuted as such." He turned to Naruto and Hinata. "Now, Mr. Naruto, Ms. Hinata, you are not British subjects, but you are here; therefore, we cannot hold treason over your heads. Alternatively, if you tell any soul of this, you will be charged with espionage and the charges will be taken very seriously. Do I make myself clear?"

The two nodded their heads as they grabbed the agreements and signed them.

"Good. Now, I'll be leaving you in the capable hands of Ms. Brown. Have a good day." Lester finished and rose from the table as Claudia entered the room.

* * *

The car ride back to the Forest of Dean was quick. The wonders they had first seen on the way into London were an afterthought to their discussion and later agreement with Lester. Naruto and Hinata had been placed in a separate SUV with Claudia.

Claudia turned from the front seat and looked at the two. "So if I have this right, you two are allegedly from a different time, or world, correct?" she asked.

Naruto and Hinata nodded their heads.

"Yes, as we told Lester already," Naruto stated with a sigh. They had been asked the question multiple times that day.

"You didn't ask the dinosaur if he was from a different time, did you?" Hinata giggled

"How do you expect us to ask a dinosaur where he came from, Ms. Hinata?" Claudia asked.

"Well, you could have sat down and asked really nice. I'm sure that in between chewing you he would kindly answer your question." Naruto was growing tired of the accusations. "Why not come out and say we're liars; you all think that already."

By that time the SUV had stopped and the conversation quickly filled the clearing the Home Office was using as their Base of Operations.

"Mr. Naruto, are you saying that we don't believe a word you have said to us?" Claudia started, her temper flaring.

Hinata nodded her head towards Stephen. "W-well, he's a-already made his p-position clear," she said.

Claudia followed her eyes and glared at Stephen. Wild accusations that were said at the start of the day were going to destroy the fragile alliance they had with the portal hoppers.

"What Mr. Hart said is his own opinion. As it stands, the Home Office has extended an olive branch to you in the hopes that your expertise could assist us in classifying the danger of the anomalies and returning all of the creatures it spits out to their rightful period of time. You have already signed up with us, and by doing so acknowledge that I am in charge of this situation; you will therefore respect the authority bestowed upon me by the Crown. So I make myself clear?" By the end of Claudia's speech she had begun to address the whole clearing, establishing her authority.

Naruto and the rest nodded their heads. It was apparent some were unhappy about the situation, Cutter and Naruto chief among them.

* * *

Day 3

We spent the entire day yesterday looking  
for the dinosaur, all for someone else.  
Lester better hold up his end of the bargain.  
Hinata and I could have had this finished yesterday  
if they would only let us go off alone. This is becoming  
a fruitless search. Claudia better figure this out soon or someone  
is going to get hurt.

A day had passed since everyone had first met Lester and an impromptu team had been formed, and still there had been no sightings of the second dinosaur that had stumbled through the portal.

Naruto and Hinata approached the tent that made up the makeshift HQ, both wearing black pants and green sweaters to better blend into the forest. It was morning and the two hoped to find and return the dinosaur to its rightful time and move on with their lives.

"Claudia," Naruto said as he entered through the flap acting as a door, "we would like to move out on our own to track down the dinosaur."

Claudia looked up from the table, a map of the Forest of Dean spread out over it. "You expect to track down the dinosaur - just the two of you?"

Hinata smiled. "W-we survived in a f-forest full of these th-things. W-we have on-site k-knowledge." It was apparent that she was in her element when it came to this type of job, tracking and recovering.

Claudia nodded her head, accepting their reasoning. "Very well. We have teams combing the forest to the north and east; start in the area bordering the west end of the village. And keep in contact; I want reports every thirty minutes."

Naruto nodded his head enthusiastically as he grabbed a pair of communicators from a table bordering the wall. "Understood!" he said, happy to be out with Hinata on their own. "We can find this guy in no time!"

And with that the pair swept out of the tent and headed off into the forest, ready to move on to a new life.

* * *

The sun had only been up for two hours and the morning dew was slowly evaporating in the dense forest. Naruto and Hinata moved swiftly through the trees, their eyes glued to the forest floor, looking for any sign of the dinosaur. Of the two, Hinata was the better tracker; at one point she was unrivalled when it came to hunting down dangerous people and now her skills were solely used for finding and returning dinosaurs. Over the course of the two years stuck in a prehistoric era, her eyes had saved them countless times, finding dinner as well as threats to their small camps. Her skills had not faded with time and she quickly picked up the trail of their large prey.

"N-Naruto, h-here, there's t-tracks leading to the v-village!" she said as she stopped, crouched and brushed away some fallen leaves, showing a large foot print in the soft ground. "O-only an h-hour old at b-best!"

"Great job, Hinata, I knew you were the best!" Naruto exclaimed. "And to think they had us looking in the wrong direction all day yesterday! Oh well, let's get going. I'll call it in," he finished, pulling out the small comm. unit and heading towards the village.

Hinata smiled at the compliment and stood up. She was a hard worker and liked to be praised for it.

As the pair grew closer to the forest, the tracks became clearer, telling Hinata that they were closing in.

"Naruto, he's c-close. The t-tracks are twenty m-minutes old now," she said, pointing to the edges of the prints, which were still straight and crisp to the point that the scales of its foot were pressed into the dirt clearly.

"Good, maybe we can head him off before he reaches the village!" He sounded worried. A dinosaur loose in a village of civilians could end horribly - for the villagers more than the dinosaur.

As Hinata stood up again and walked forward, Naruto sighed. "Well, I guess it's too late to stop him before the village, huh?" he said as he crossed into a field that had a clear view of a school. "Even better, he choose a school."

Hinata grimaced at the idea of a dinosaur loose in a school; no one would be able to protect themselves. "W-we should g-go now!" She was worried about the innocent lives at stake.

"HQ, this is Naruto. We've tracked the dinosaur to the village and he seems to be in a local school; we're moving to assist now," Naruto said into his comm. as they began to dash across the field towards the school.

"Understood. We have men in the area moving to assist as well. We'll call in advance to start a school-wide evacuation. Proceed with caution. HQ out," a man responded.

"Ya, really, proceed with caution. You think!" Naruto shouted as he picked up speed, trying to get to the school as fast as possible.

* * *

By the time Naruto and Hinata arrived, the school had been notified of a bomb threat and was in the process of being evacuated. Some teachers were herding the children, who consisted of grades one through six, onto waiting busses. As one bus filled up and drove off, another would take its place. It was a quick and orderly operation.

Naruto approached a teacher who looked to be in charge. "We've been sent to clear the building. How's the evacuation going?" he asked, quick and to the point.

The teacher looked up from a clipboard as he marked off names. He eyed Naruto and did not seem impressed. "They send a kid to clear a building for bombs? Don't kid me. Go away before I call the cops." He dismissed the pair and turned back to his clipboard.

Naruto growled and grabbed the teacher by his arm. "I was sent by the Home Office, you buffoon," he stated. "We take these matters very seriously. Now you will answer my question: How goes the evacuation?" His grip tightened, causing the teacher to grimace.

"Naruto, y-you're scaring the children," Hinata cut in, causing Naruto to look around and see the scared eyes of many teachers and students. Naruto nodded his head and released the teacher. Hinata turned to face another teacher. "Sir, would you tell us how the evacuation is proceeding so that we may continue with our jobs?" It was apparent that Hinata was better at talking to civilians.

Another teacher stepped forward. "Most students are evacuated; we're just waiting on the gym class, they seem to be missing. We were about to send some people in to get them."

Naruto shook his head no. "We can go in and find them; you guys continue with the evacuation, make sure all the students get out and fast," he said to the same teacher before turning to Hinata. "Let's go in; we need to get that gym class out now." Hinata nodded her head and they both entered the school.

Once the doors to the front of the school closed, the sounds of children and teachers alike disappeared. Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out a small knife with a ring on the top, a kunai, Hinata following his example. While a small knife would do little in harming a large multi-ton dinosaur, it would give them the opportunity to distract the reptile and allow any cornered children to safely exit in the worst case.

As they moved forward slowly, a message came through the communicator. "A team has arrived to the scene and is making a perimeter. Operatives Naruto and Hinata have entered the building. There are reports of missing students; stand by for more information." And with that the comm. unit went silent.

Naruto turned to Hinata and grinned. "Hear that, Hinata?" he began. "We're operatives now! Think they'll give us a flashy badge or something?"

Hinata looked at Naruto, her mouth slightly open. "R-really, Naruto? A b-badge is all you want?" She shook her head, palming her forehead in embarrassment.

Naruto smiled at Hinata's proclamation. "What? Badges are nice and shiny, right?"

Hinata sighed. "Can w-we please move o-on now?" She sounded exasperated.

Naruto nodded and smiled as he inched forward, their footsteps silent in the empty hallways.

They rounded corners and checked classrooms but there were no signs of the missing school children and as time ticked by Naruto became less and less optimistic. Years of experience on battlefields and with the portals caused both Naruto and Hinata think of the worst, and right now that was the deaths of countless civilians who would have had no clue what was happening to them.

Naruto picked up the comm. unit. "The south and west wings are clear; no sign of the children or the dinosaur. Moving to the north and east wings," he reported and nodded to Hinata. "Let's move out," he said with a tired voice. The ramifications of what could have happened were weighing down on him.

"I-I'm sure t-they're just fine, N-Naruto," Hinata said, trying to cheer her companion up.

Naruto looked at Hinata and smiled, nodding his head. "I hope so," he replied and moved up to the next hallway.

The north wing proved fruitless. The classrooms were clear of students and still the dinosaur remained hidden.

"Well, only one place left. Let's hope everything is peachy," Naruto said to Hinata as they entered the last wing.

Leaving the north wing and entering the east was like entering the aftermath of a battlefield. Lockers were torn open and deep grooves scratched into the walls.

"Well," Naruto began, "Guess we know where he is now."

Hinata looked around at the devastation, her eyes following the grooves and direction of the carnage. "H-he moved to the left and f-followed the wall around the corner," she said as she ran her hand across the marks in the wall. "He j-jumped forward h-here, c-chasing someone." She crouched down and brushed the floor. "H-he slid after l-landing. W-whoever he w-was chasing m-made it away." She sounded relieved.

Naruto reached for the comm. unit again. "The dinosaur is located in the east wing. No sign of fatalities. Moving forward to contain the situation."

The communicator crackled and spit before clearing up. "Copy that. Units are moving in to surround the wing; medics are on standby for wounded."

Naruto drew in a deep breath and exhaled, calming his nerves. "Okay, Hinata, let's get this over with. I really want to shower right now," he said, injecting some humor to help lighten the mood.

Hinata smiled. "Hai, I-I could use a bath." She stood up and began to inch forward towards the corner, following the devastation.

As they rounded the corner and travelled to the end of the new hallway, they heard a small squeak. Naruto held his hand out and looked around.

"Wait, I hear something," he said as his eyes travelled across the walls, lingering on the closed doors.

"Third d-door on t-the left," Hinata said as she motioned her head towards the far door. "Someone is in there."

Naruto nodded and darted to the other side of the hall. He slid his body along the wall before reaching the door and promptly knocked a pattern onto it - three knocks, two knocks, three knocks. The simple pattern might inform whoever was on the other side that he was human.

"Anyone in there?" he asked, looking around for any dangers.

The door slowly opened a crack and Naruto could see a small hand holding the door.

"Mister?" a boy's voice answered. "A-are you here to save us?"

Naruto smiled and waved Hinata over. "You bet we are. Can we come in?" he asked.

The door opened further and the small boy quickly waved them in. "Quick, before the monster comes back!"

As Naruto and Hinata slid into the room, their eyes widened. The room was packed with children and two adults, one who looked pale and was holding his arm.

"Is everyone here?" Naruto asked as he counted the children.

The adult who looked to be in better health nodded her head. "Yes, all the children are here. Mr. Andrews was cut by the monster, though. He hasn't stopped bleeding." She sounded stressed with the situation, ready to crack under the pressure.

"Hinata, see what you can do for Andrews. I'm going to call this in," Naruto said as he opened the comm. unit. "HQ, we found the missing children. We have twenty-three kids and two adults; one is injured."

"Roger that. Medics will be on standby. Any sign of the ah, dinosaur?" a voice asked.

"Negative; no sign yet. We will move everyone out when we have a chance," Naruto replied.

"Roger that. Ms. Brown says good work. HQ out," the voice replied.

Naruto tucked the unit away and approached Hinata, who was crouching over the wounded teacher. "How's he look?" he asked.

Hinata looked up and shook her head. "H-he's lost a-l-lot of blood. W-we need t-to get him o-out soon." Prognosis: not good.

Naruto nodded grimly. He then clapped his hands, gaining the attention of the room's occupants.

"Okay, everyone, my name is Naruto and this is Hinata," he started, pointing to both Hinata and himself. "We are going to get you guys out, okay? In fact, I hear they have lots of ice cream outside." He smiled; bribery was always a good tool when it came to keeping children distracted. "Here's what we are going to do now. Ms. ..." he broke off, looking at the other teacher.

"Ms. Jones," she filled in.

"Ms. Jones, if you would kindly support Mr. Andrews, my friend and I are going to lead you guys out. Now this is the important part. Hinata is going to lead you guys; you follow her directions to the letter, okay?" he asked. Everyone in the room nodded their heads. "I'm going to be in the back, making sure no one gets lost, okay? So if everyone is okay, we can head out in a few minutes," he finished, smiling at the room.

* * *

Five minutes passed faster than most would have liked. The children readied school bags and books while Ms. Jones helped Mr. Andrews get ready. Hinata had applied a quick field dressing to the cut on his arm, steaming the blood loss. Naruto smiled down at the children as they waited by the door.

"Hinata," Naruto started, "I'll check to make sure it's okay. There was an exit at the entrance to the wing; make it there as fast as you can. If the dinosaur sees us, I'll lead him off. Make sure that the kids make it out safe." He shot off a quick smile to reassure his only friend.

Hinata nodded her head and smiled back at Naruto. "L-like old t-times," she said.

Naruto let out a laugh. "Just like old times," he replied before turning to the students. "Alright, everyone, let's get ready!"

Naruto opened the door slowly and peeked out. There was no sign of the dinosaur. So far so good. He turned back and motioned Hinata forward. "Remember, follow Hinata," he whispered to everyone. Hinata entered the hallway, followed by the students and the two teachers, with Naruto bringing up the rear.

The group had made it to the last hallway leading to the exit when the dinosaur made its appearance. The large, scaly head showed at the opposite end of the hallway, its nostrils flaring as it took quick sniffs of the air, following the scent of the group. The doors rattled as it stepped around the corner and closer to the group.

Naruto turned to the group of children. "Remember, follow Hinata all the way out!" He pushed them along. "Try to move fast. We're almost there!" Just a few more feet and they would be outside. He turned to look back at the dinosaur as it approached, gaining speed, getting ready for a midday snack. "Hinata," he yelled across the heads of the group, "as soon as you get outside, go left; I'll lead it back to the portal!"

Hinata turned her head back. "Hai!" she shouted as she reached the exit. "Go left, guys, go left." She motioned them out and around the corner.

Naruto turned around and pulled out a kunai, the trusty weapon of a ninja. He looked down at the small blade and back up at the approaching reptile. "Awesome idea, Naruto," he said to himself as he flicked his arm forward and the blade left his hand, cutting through the air and lodging in the front of the dinosaur's scaly forehead. "Right," he said as he reached for another kunai, patting his pockets. Finding none, he grimaced, "Oh that's right, I only had one." He turned and darted away. No way was one small knife going to take down a multi-ton dinosaur.

The beast faltered as the blade stuck into its forehead, wedged between the scales of its skin. Never before had its prey wounded it in any way. It was more of a nuisance, but this demanded revenge. Its brain started to process the possibilities. A meal was now outside, but a predator had tried to kill it; self-preservation kicked in, overriding the need to eat a meal, and it charged forward, intent on exacting its own form of justice on the new prey.

Naruto tumbled though the exit doors and turned right, towards the forest again. The children were huddled to the left behind a series of black SUVs while men wearing black uniforms similar to both Hinata's and Naruto's took up firing stances, ready for what would come out next.

The pounding of the reptile set off car alarms and shattered glass windows all along the walls of the school. The doors burst open and the reptile barged out, its head swinging left to right, looking for the pesky nuisance that had attacked it.

The soldiers all stepped back as the beast rose to its full height, taller than any man or car on the scene. Their weapons rose as one, ready to fire, before it caught sight of Naruto running towards the forest and darted after him, its head falling closer to the ground, shifting its center of gravity to push it forward.

Naruto quickly entered the forest. He jumped over fallen trees and around trunks as he made his way back to the anomaly, praying that the dinosaur would have to slow down to navigate the dense forest.

The roars the followed Naruto signaled that it was still in pursuit, angry at the small wound the kunai had caused. As he flew through the forest the roars grew closer and he began to hear trees snapping as the reptile grew angrier. He was close though, close to the portal, just a few more minutes. He began to sweat from the long run and grew winded as the minutes ticked by. His comm. unit continually squawked as people demanded to know what he was doing. Finally he could see a light shining through the branches. He had made it back to the clearing where the portal was.

Naruto knew that he would need to get the dinosaur through the portal - that much was obvious; the flaw in his brilliant plan was actually doing that. In the few short seconds it took for his mind to analyze the situation, the beast had made ground. Naruto looked behind him at the approaching dinosaur, its mouth filled with sharp, jagged teeth, opening and closing, snapping at the branches that got in its way. Naruto turned forward and reached deep down inside himself, pulling forth the last amount of energy that he had and putting on a burst of speed.

"Move out of the way!" he yelled as he entered the clearing, much to the shock of the soldiers and technicians studying the portal.

Claudia Brown looked up from the map of the forest and surrounding area as Naruto yelled out and crashed through the branches.

"What in God's name is he DOING!" she shouted as she stormed out of the command tent. "Mr. Naruto, you will explain ..." she trailed off as Naruto ran past her towards the anomaly, quickly followed by the missing reptile. "Oh," she finished.

"Here goes nothing," Naruto said as he dived into the portal, quite literally dropping off the face of the planet, followed by the rampaging dinosaur.

* * *

Once Hinata had seen Naruto ran into the forest followed by the rampaging dinosaur she demanded that a soldier drive her back to the portal. They were minutes behind the fleeing Naruto and pursuing dinosaur. As they finally reached the clearing, she hopped out of the moving SUV, much to the displeasure of the driver, and ran towards the portal.

"W-where did N-Naruto g-go?" she asked a nearby technician.

The man turned around. "The guy just ran into the portal, followed by the Gorgonopsia. He's only been gone a few minutes." Even he sounded worried.

Hinata turned back to look at the portal as it began to fluctuate, a sign of its impending closure. "Oh no," she whispered to herself.

She clasped her hands in front of her chest in worry and eyed the portal as the technicians hurried to take readings, attempting to understand what was happening.

"D-don't leave m-me, Naruto," she whispered to herself.

She closed her eyes; she didn't want to be the last of her race, to die alone. Her head fell, her indigo hair hiding her eyes ... only to hear shouts and cheers. She quickly looked up and saw Naruto sitting on the ground just as the portal closed.

Naruto stood up from where he had landed and began to pat down his pants, growing more desperate as he cleared out the many pockets. "Damn it!" he shouted. "That was my last kunai!"

He heard laughter behind him and turned around to see Hinata standing there, tears in her eyes.

"You didn't think you would get rid of me that easily, did you?" he asked.

* * *

So first off, I apologize for the long wait, with Christmas work does pick up. I made the chapter extra long to finish this 'arc' and move onto the next portion. As always thank you to my wonderful and patient beta reader VoicesInTheWind, she's been amazing to work with. Finally read and review, I like hearing what people say! Until next time.


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